Book: The Study Quran
Author: A Team of Islamic Studies Scholars lead by Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr and Dr. Joseph Lumbard
Review: Soumaya Khalifa, Executive Director and Founder, Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta
Today, the public and political spheres are engrossed in conversations about Islam and Muslims, and unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation floating around.
As a person who speaks about Islam and Muslims, I find people have many questions, and it has been challenging to present an encompassing reference about the Quran (the Muslim holy book) that is written in English and is relevant to today’s culture and language.
Then came Harper Collins’ The Study Quran published in 2015. It is a labor of several U.S. scholars over a period of 10 years. It accounts for both Sunni and Shiite perspectives when offering critical commentary and translating verses.
An introduction by Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr is followed by almost 2,000-page continuous discussion of the entire Quran that provides a comprehensive picture of how this sacred book has been read and interpreted by Muslims for over 1,400 years. In addition The Study Quran includes commentaries by leading Muslim scholars on many topics of interest, maps and timeline to help readers get a better picture.
With The Study Quran, both scholars and lay readers can explore the spiritual meaning of the Quran, examine the grammar of difficult sections, and explore legal and ritual teachings, ethics, theology, sacred history, and the importance of various passages in Muslim life.
As Karen Armstrong writes, “This scholarly yet accessible work speaks directly to the tensions and misunderstandings of our gravely polarized world. It should be on the shelves of libraries and universities throughout the English-speaking world. The contributors guide the reader through the intricacies of the sacred text in a way that lays bare the superficiality, selectivity and inaccuracy of some modern interpretations of the Quran at a time when this is sorely needed.”
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